Power
of Love Temple was created as a dakshina (gift of thankfulness) to Kripalu.
This temple is as unique as the labor of love which created it. This sculpture
is on the outside of the temple to the Northeast facing the woods.

Lakulish(Bhagwan
Brahmeshwara) Lord Shiva himself is in human form at the holy place of Kayavarohan,
India. The Divine power of Lord Shiva has been in existence at this holy place
during all the four periods. The importance of this location is that it has
the Brahmeshwar Jyotirshivlang Temple found by sage Vishwamitra. The incarnation
of Lord Shiva in Lakulish Bhagwan who propounded the Pashupat sect is seen here
merged with the linga in Shambavi Mudra and giving darshan to devotees. Around
1000 years ago when Mahmad Gazni destroyed the famous temple of Somnath in Gujarat
state, the luminous jyotirlinga with Lakulish merged the light of all of the
12 jyotirlinga into it's form and then disappeared underground. Go
to Lakulish Aarti.

Leela
Bruner was born in 1944 in Ft. Dodge, Iowa in the United States to very
loving and talented parents. Her mother taught her about prana and talked
of the yogic masters. Throughout her teen years, every night Leela would dream
of searching for her guru. In 1973, she saw a painting of the guru she had
been searching for years. Her bliss could not be contained. However, Bapuji
was in India and Leela was in Nebraska with 2 small children and husband and
no money to travel. For 5 years, everyday Leela would sit in her meditation
room and plead with Bapuji "If you are my guru, then you have to come to me".

In January
of 1978, Leela got a call from Ramesh Panchal saying that he heard from Bapuji
and that he was coming to Nebraska and to contact Leela. Ramesh is a spiritual
son of Kripalu. It was at Ramesh and Neeta Panchal's home in Columbus, Nebraska
that Bapuji gave mantra diksha to Leela. Afterwards, Vinit Muniji said that
Bapuji had arranged this trip to America for Leela. Prior to this time Bapuji
had said that he would do no traveling and he had refused to give mantra diksha
for years and years. Leela was unaware of these boundaries that her beloved
Bapuji had stated. Read Pilgrim of Love by Atma JoAnn Levitt for more
details.

Kripalu
(Swami Shri Kripalvanandaji) is lovingly referred to as Bapuji (beloved father).
Bapuji devoted his whole life to the determined quest of truth and liberation.
For 28 years he maintained a rigorous discipline, spending 10 hours a day
in meditation while keeping silence for over 18 years. Having mastered all
previous stages of yoga, he finally reached the transcendental state of Nirvikalpa
Samadhi in Columbus, Nebraska on April 6, 1978. He achieved this state during
the very next meditation after bestowing mantra diksha on his spiritual daughter,
Leela Bruner. Bapuji had been concerned for years, knowing that this state
of Samadhi was beyond breath and mind. With no breath or mind, how would he
know to come back in his body? For many years his meditation sessions had
lasted exactly 3 hours and just like clockwork he was able to return to the
physical plane on that April evening.

Kripalu
means blissful bestower of grace and indeed he expressed this grace not only
as a compassionate saint, but also as a scholar, poet and musician. He wrote
many books in Gujarati and Hindi including Asana and Mudra (an encyclopedia
of all of yoga) as well as Premdhara (a book of devotional songs) and many
others. He also restored the ancient city of Kayavarohan as an International
Yoga Center and place of pilgrimage.